The Silence of a Crying Child
by Tiamat Feuerbraut
Summary: After five years together, Bethany and Matthew wish for a child of their own. After three years of trying in vain, someone answers their prayers - but instead of a dream coming true, they are thrown into a nightmare.
1. Wishes

_Hello there :)_

_I proudly present my first fanfic for the Silent Hill franchise. Please, bear with me and let me say a few words first._

_I've been a fan of the games for a while, but have to admit that I only played (that is, from the beginning to the end) _Silent Hill_, _Origins_, _The Room_ and _Homecoming_ so far (with _Shattered Memories_ on my waiting list), simply because I never owned a PS2 and had to stick to playing part 2 and 3 occasionally whenever I got the chance (luckily, the PS3 conversion will be out in a few weeks, so, yay). That said, I try to stick to canon as much as possible; still, I had to make one major change for this story to work: I asked myself the question - what if Alessa never really left Silent Hill as shown in the Good/Good+ endings of _Silent Hill_? You see, the girl that would become Heather is said to be the reincarnation of both Cheryl and Alessa, but the Incubator gives the child to Harry - so, who or what is/was the Incubator, if not a small fracture of Alessa's soul still bound to the town?_

_So, proceeding from this train of thought, the idea for this story was born. The characters lingered on the edge of my mind for a while, demanding to go to Silent Hill, but I never had a reason to send them there. Now I have one. And you can find out the why and how and everything._

_Read and enjoy._

_-o- _

_And if you happen to belong to those who follow my other WIP, _And One Makes Three_, don't worry, I won't abandon one story for another. I just had to get this out of my mind._

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><p>„Nothing. Again."<p>

Frustrated, Beth kicked the bin she had just thrown the test into. Another blue stripe. Number seven. Almost three years now, but she had never lost track.

„Honey, come on. Don't take it out on the furniture."

Angrily blinking away the tears that had sprung to her eyes, Beth looked up at her husband. Matt had been so kind and understanding during the past years, but every time she noticed that she had her period – again –, she was afraid that he wouldn't understand anymore, that he would leave her if she couldn't give him what he wanted so badly. This time she had been three weeks overdue, longer than ever before. She had been so anxious, almost hopeful when she had locked herself in the bathroom to take the test.

And a single blue stripe on a white plastic stick had once more crushed her hopes.

„Should I take it out on you instead?" she snapped, regretting her harsh words immediately afterward. It wasn't his fault, she knew that. The doctor had said it wasn't her fault, either, but what else could it be that prevented her from conceiving if not a condition the doctors just hadn't found yet.

„I'm sorry." She sat down on a kitchen chair and rested her head in her hands. „I really am. I don't know why... I just can't seem to-"

„No."

Wood scratched across the tiles, and warmth embraced her as Matt rested an arm around her shoulders. She didn't dare look up as he spoke.

„Don't do this to yourself. Remember what Doctor Williams said? It's not us. We're perfectly fine. The both of us. But sometimes... it just takes a lot of tries. You are putting too much pressure on yourself. Too much stress-"

„Can have negative effects on the process, I know." Finally, she worked up the courage to look in his eyes. „But how can I stay calm? It takes me years when it should merely be a few months!"

„But we have years! Beth, you're not even thirty, we have plenty of time. It doesn't matter if it takes another three years, or even five! We'll have a child. When the time is right."

He sounded so comforting, but the faint look of hurt in his eyes was almost enough to make her cry. She barely kept her voice under control.

„Will you wait that long with me?"

A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, and he gently kissed her forehead.

„I will wait with you until the end of the world, if need be. But trust me, it won't take that much time." He softly pushed her away and looked at her in earnest. „We should take a break. Not only from... this, from everything. You need some time away." He stroke her hand soothingly. „We could go up north, Maine maybe. A quiet place, few people... something to take your mind off all this. What do you think?"

Beth smiled weakly upon this suggestion.

„That would be nice", she murmured, „just you and I for once. No one asking about how the grandkids are coming along."

From the corner of her eye, she cought a glimpse of Matt making a face.

„Just what I said, you stress yourself too much. You need a break." He stood up. „Tell you what. On Monday, you'll ask Angela for a vacation. Make it four weeks. And then we'll look for a place to hide for a while."

„A _month_?" Beth bit her lip. „I can't leave for a whole month!"

„Of course you can." He pulled her to her feet and held her tight, looking down at her. „Tell Angela why you need this break. She'll understand."

Suddenly feeling drained, Beth leaned her head against his chest. The steady rhythm of his heartbeat finally calmed her completely.

„Alright. I'll try. But don't get mad if I can only have a week or two. Lindsay is sick, and Angela needs me."

Matt kissed her again, then let her go.

„I won't get mad. As long as you stop worrying so much. It doesn't make things better." After a look out the window, he turned toward her again. „We still have an hour or so of sunshine. Shall we take a walk?"

Beth stared thoughtfully out on the sunlit front lawn. A cat lay lazily on a patch of moss, untouched by worries and sorrow. It would be nice to forget. At least for a while.

„Can we stop by the café? It's Saturday. May's serving chocolate cake today."

Laughing, Matt went to retrieve their coats.

„Whatever you like, honey. Whatever you like."

-o-

„Coffee's ready!"

Tracy's call was the signal for both Angela and Beth to drop whatever they had in hands and return to the small kitchen in the back of their shared office. Every day at eleven, they had a second breakfast, ejoying coffee, pastries and the newest gossip. Today's topic seemed to be the elementary school's spring fair.

„We still have to set a schedule for Friday", Angela reminded them as she poured herself a cup of coffee, „for the readings especially. When we trusted Brad with it last year, the kids started a food fight."

„Took me three days to get the peanut butter and jelly out of my hear", Tracy grudgingly reminded them, „no way in Hell _I_ will do that!"

Angela snickered, and Tracy shot her an irritated glance.

„You can laugh all you want, _you_ could just shave your head and would look just as good."

„Which doesn't mean that I _will_ shave my head, even if it happens." Angela took a sip from her cup. „But fine, I will do it. Which means you two have to arrange who will keep an eye on the stall."

„I can do the afternoon, Tracy can have one to three."

Tracy looked relieved while Angela eyed her suspiciously.

„Are you sure you want to do this? Lindsay will probably on bed rest until next week, so you'll likely be on your own."

„I think I can handle it. They are smaller than me, after all."

The other women laughed, and Angela took some notes on a scrap of paper.

„Fine, it's settled then. I talked to Principal Edwards, we'll get free food and drinks. Oh, and Mr. Young will help us set everything up. He'll expect us at ten, and Adrew alredy volunteered to help, too, so we should be fine."

„He volunteered?" Beth smiled at the thought of Angela's slightly chubby, a bit sluggish but always cheerful boyfriend. „Or did you threaten to force him to take up running again?"

„I didn't need to threaten him." Angela smiled almost viciously. „I figure he just thought if he helps us carrying furniture, he'll escape the duty to deal with unruly second-graders."

Laughing, Beth chose another pastry.

„It's a miracle you convinced him he actually wants to be with a woman who'd like to have a dozen children." She licked sugar from her fingers, ignoring the sting of envy she felt at her own words. No use in taking it out on her friends. „Matt wouldn't mind, but he's busy in the arts-and-crafts-corner."

Being an illustrator, Matt was quite talented at both drawing and painting. When the arts teacher, Mrs. Holloway, had asked him to offer a drawing lesson at the fair, he'd been more than happy to say yes.

„Oh, don't worry, we'll manage." Angela chuckled. „Especially without Brad. I know he meant well, but seriously, for someone with four little brothers he is amazingly inept at keeping a bunch of kids at bay."

„Poor kid. I wager he wouldn't want to help, even if we asked him ever so kindly."

Through their laughter, they barely heard the bell signaling that someone was at the back door. With a sigh, Tracy got up.

„I'll get it. Must be the UPS guy."

As she left the room, Angela got ready to follow her, but Beth grabbed her arm and held her back.

„Angela, wait. I... need to talk to you."

Puzzled, Angela got back on her chair.

„What is it? Is something wrong?"

Hesitantly, Beth played with her almost empty cup.

„You could say that..." She looked at the woman who was both her boss and her friend. „I... I think I need some time off."

„Time off?" Angela seemed concerned. „Are you sick or something?"

„That's what I need to find out." Beth tried to swallow the lump in her throat, without success. „You know, Matt and I... we try to have a child. It's been three years now, but... the doctors say we are alright, that it just takes some time, but I'm not so sure about that."

„Oh, Beth, I'm so sorry." Angela hugged her sympathetically. „I didn't know... why did you never say anything?"

Beth smiled sadly.

„I wanted to tell you once I'm sure... but it never happened..." She twisted the tail of her blouse. „Matt is so sure that it's just... that I out too much pressure on myself, that's how he said it. And he wants me to take a few weeks off so we can... get away for a while." She paused. „I guess he hopes that once I'm out of town, maybe relax a little... that it will work. Finally."

With furrowed brow, Angela stared at the kitten calendar pinned to the wall. Tracy had brought it; it had been a gift from her niece.

„You, I think we can work something out. You didn't use up all your days last year, and once Lindsay is back, I guess we can manage without you for a while." She glanced over to Beth. „I figure a week doesn't cut it here. How much time do you need?"

Beth swallowed hard before answering.

„A month."

„A month." Angela bit her lip. „That's more time than any of us is usually gone... but I'll see what I can do here. I assume you'd like to leave rather sooner than later?"

„As soon as possible."

„Thought so. Well, I'll talk to Tracy and Lindsay, and we'll work something out. I tell you as soon as I know." Angela stood up when she heard Tracy call from the corridor. „Until then, we should see to the next delivery."

Just before she left, Beth called out to her. „Angela?"

The other woman turned around, hand on the doorknob. „Yes?"

„Thank you."

Angela's broad smile chased away some of her worries. „You're welcome."


	2. A Perfect Hideaway

_So, if anyone's wondering, yes, they'll enter Silent Hill soon. My outline says chapter 4, and so far I don't think that will change. Until then, we will follow them around a little in their "ordinary" life..._

* * *

><p>"Matt? I'm home! I brought some pie from May's!"<p>

When Beth closed the door behind her, the music was turned down, and Matt poked his head out of the door to his studio. Beth smiled as she noticed the smear of ink on his cheek.

"Hey, sweetie." He stepped out of the room, pulling her into an embrace and placing a soft kiss on her head. „How was your day?"

"I asked Angela about the vacation." Her voice was muffled against his chest. "I asked for a month."

"So? What did she say?"

Beth looked up at her husband and smiled.

"If we wait until Lindsay's back, there should be no problem at all."

"That's great." Matt let her go and motioned to the studio. „I'll just finish the last piece, and then we'll make some plans, alright?"

"Don't hurry." Beth hung her coat on the peg and threw her keys into the bowl. „You finish your soccer bunny, and I'll make coffee." She picked up the small package of apple pie and headed for the kitchen.

"The soccer bunny's done", Matt remarked as he returned to his work, "it's the fireman bunny now."

Chuckling, Beth opened the cupboard and reached for the coffee canister.

"Whatever."

-o-

"So, I was thinking Central Maine, maybe even a little further north."

Beth watched slightly amused while Matt entered search term after search term and scrolled through half a dozen websites.

"They have some nice towns there. Old mining towns, now doing tourism... Here. Toluca County, they have some decent places."

Beth moved a little closer while Matt opened the "Vacation – Accommodation" part of the site. A wide selection of hotels, vacation homes and lodges appeared.

"Let's see... lake or forest? We could go up into the mountains, too."

"No. No mountains." Beth huddled up in her armchair. "It's so isolated up there, that's... it's a bit too much. At least for now..."

Matt shot her an odd glance, but remained silent. He scrolled further down the site until he reached the small towns surrounding the lakes.

"This looks nice. _Located at the rim of the lovely Abernathy forest_... _five miles to the lake_... _variety of summer activities_... oh, well, I guess our selection will be limited, then..."

"Where is it?"

"Hemingworth Creek... a few thousand permanent residents, a movie theatre, shops, arts and crafts, restaurants serving _local specialities_."

Lazily, Beth skimmed the text for more details. Quiet, but not secluded, time to think, but plenty of ways to distract herself.

"Perfect."

"Alright then. Let's see what we have here..."

-o-

"Beth? Honey, wake up."

Still half asleep, Beth straightened herself in the passenger seat. Confused, she peeked out the window.

"Are we there yet?"

"Almost. The road sign said ten miles."

"Oh. Good."

Beth relaxed again and leaned back. They had left early, barely after sunrise; Matt always liked to avoid rush hours. He'd told her he didn't mind if she caught up sleep while he was driving, so she'd settled in for a nap. Or so she'd thought.

"Why didn't you wake me up?"

Taking a quick glance at her, Matt shrugged and smiled.

"You looked tired. And it wasn't exactly a thrilling drive."

True, that one. The landscape was beautiful, but apart from a few road signs directing visitors to the various resort towns in the area, they didn't see anything but trees and meadows. Only when they passed the town border, their surroundings changed drastically. Small houses, painted in bright colours stood on neatly mown patches of grass. On the main street, the shopkeepers had decorated their display windows and the sidewalks with flashy signs and posters. Blue and white signposts guided the visitors to hotels and lodges.

"Can you see which way to go?"

Beth looked around, searching for the signs pointing to _Abernathy Mountain Lodge_. "Go left at the next junction."

Eventually, after some discussion, they had settled for a small cabin near the forest. A kitchen unit was provided, but meals were served in the main house if guests asked for it. Two rooms, a bathroom, a porch. Nothing luxurious – they had a decent income, now that Matt had made himself a name in the branch, but that didn't mean they could live the high life. _Yet_, as Matt always added with a smirk. Small and cosy. Just what they wanted.

After another couple miles, they reached the lodge's driveway. On the parking lot, they were greeted by two large, wooden grizzly bears and a woman in her fifties – Edna Morrison, the owner of the lodge.

When they left the car, she hurried down the stairs to the front porch and smiled widely at them.

"Welcome to _Abernathy Mountain Lodge_. I'm Edna Morrison. You must be the Brown couple!"

"Yeah. I'm Matthew, that's Bethany", Matt introduced them, "nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, too. Come on in, I have tea and cookies ready!"

She hustled back into the house, motioning them to follow. With a grin, Matt put his arm around Beth, and they slowly climbed the stairs and entered the house. Inside, everything was wood and stone. A huge fireplace dominated the hall, surrounded by sofas and armchairs. A peek into the living room revealed another fireplace, only slightly smaller than the first one. Across the hall, there were a kitchen and what seemed to be Mrs. Morrison's office.

Just then, the older woman came back from the kitchen, carrying a tray.

"Come on, we'll sit for a few minutes, then we can settle everything."

Enjoying Mrs. Morrison's home-made blackberry cookies and steaming hot tea, Matt and their host discussed the details of their stay. Beth sat back on the plushy sofa, staring out the window as she didn't feel she was needed right now. Beside the house, there was a spacious clearing, with benches, picnic tables and a playground. It was deserted now, the swing moving slightly in a breeze. For a moment, she almost believed she could see children playing on the equipment. A boy and a girl, dark-haired as Matt was, running and laughing and not paying attention to their mother watching over them.

For a brief second, she wanted to call out to them so she could see their faces.

The moment passed as quickly as it had come when Matt lightly touched her arm.

"Beth? Sweetie, are you alright?"

Startled, Beth turned around to face him. "What?"

"You look a bit pale. Are you okay?"

Avoiding his intense gaze, Beth nodded.

"Yes. I... I'm just tired, that's all."

Only Beth noticed his moment of hesitation.

"Right. We got up so early today... maybe you should take a nap before we have lunch."

"Lunch?"

"Yeah. I asked Mrs. Morrison, she says she's making stew for lunch. There's a family staying in one of the cabins, they'll have lunch here, too, so I thought..." He eyed her suspiciously. "If you don't feel well, we can skip the meal if you like."

"No! No", Beth replied quickly, "I'm fine. I'll rest a little, that will do."

"That's right, girl." Mrs. Morrison patted her arm. "Take a little shut-eye. That always helps. And if it doesn't, your man can come and get a serving for you to eat whenever you feel like it."

Somehow, Beth managed to smile.

"Thanks, Mrs. Morrison. I'll be okay."

Quietly, she followed Matt to the car. They retrieved their luggage and proceeded to the cabin Mrs. Morrison had assigned them to. It seemed to be one of the oldest, not far away from the edge of the forest, shaded by a huge ash tree; a few yards away, a yew tree pointed its branches against the sky. A chimney stuck out from the shingle roof, and on the front and the right side ran a sheltered porch.

"Looks like we have a fireplace. And a porch swing, too."

Beth merely managed to acknowledge Matt's a bit too cheery comments on the place with a silent nod. The sight of the deserted playground had darkened her mood, and right now she wanted nothing more than curl up in a corner and cry. She followed Matt as he unlocked the door and entered the main room of the cabin. Like he had said, there was a fireplace on one side, with a sofa and an armchair. There even was a bookshelf with a small selection of torn and tattered paperbacks. On the other side, there was the small kitchen, equipped with fridge, sink and stove; a cupboard on the wall seemed to hold the dishes. Two doors led to the bedroom and a tiny bathroom.

With a thud, Matt dropped the bags and turned to his wife, a look of concern on his face.

"What's wrong? You looked like you'd seen a ghost in Mrs. Morrison's backyard."

His choice of words, so close to what she'd seen, was enough to crush what little self-control she had left. One moment she stared blankly at her husband, the next she lay in his arms, sobbing heavily and unable to talk. The tension of the past weeks finally surfaced, and for what seemed like an eternity, she clung to Matt as if her life depended on him.

She didn't resist when he led her into the bedroom, threw aside their coats and lay down on the bed with her, all the while never really letting go of her. He kissed her, he caressed her, and he whispered comforting words she didn't understand until, finally, the sobs subsided to silent tears, running down her cheeks and seeping into his shirt.

Eventually, the tears dried up, and she was able to breathe again. None of them said a word until Beth mustered up the courage to speak.

"I'm sorry", she whispered hoarsely, the words almost indiscernible, so fast did they come out, "I'm sorry I can't give you what you want. If I could, I would tell you to leave. To go find a woman who can give you a family. But I can't. If you want to leave, I'll let you go, but I can't tell you to." She buried her face on his chest, digging her fingers into the damp cloth of his shirt. „I love you too much for that."

"I love you, too", Matt said softly, "and that's the reason why I will never leave you."

The gentle, loving tone of his voice made her look up. A sad little smile had spread on his face.

"You know, I often think about the _what if_. What if we really can't have children? But, you see, that's not the end of the world. It would be wonderful to have a child of our own, but there are other options. We can always adopt. Family... it doesn't depend on bloodlines. It's what we make of it."

He kissed her forehead and rested his cheek against the tangled mass of red hair. "But we are young. We have time. We can think about alternatives later."

They lay in silence for a few minutes. The he spoke again.

"Just promise me something?"

Groggily, Beth stirred, but didn't look up. "What?"

She heard his soft chuckle as he stroke her back, pushing her towards the edge of sleep.

"Don't think about that while we are here. That's why we came here after all, remember? Promise you'll relax and enjoy the vacation."

A vague „Mhmm" was all Beth could manage; the next moment, she was already asleep.

-o-

When Beth's breathing became slow and steady, Matt stayed a little longer to make sure she didn't have nightmares, then stood up and left the room. He had never seen her so devastated. Sure, she had cried; more often than she would admit, that much he knew. But until now he hadn't realised things had gotten that bad. Did she actually think her not getting pregnant was a reason for him to leave her? He could hardly believe that. She knew he loved her. Her own desperation made her blind for everything they already had.

Not wanting her to wake up, he sat beside the fireplace, idly leafing through some random crime novel from the shelf for a while. There was no television in the cabins; the only one was in the so-called common room in the main house. Not that he needed it; he had brought a small stock of drawing materials so he could draw whenever he needed occupation while Beth was up to... whatever women did when they didn't want men around.

He couldn't really concentrate on the story, though, so he got up again and started unpacking their bags. Beth didn't shift when he put their clothes into the cupboard. He had stowed away the bags and already set everything up in the bathroom when Beth exited the bedroom, eyes weary and her hair a mess.

"Matt?"

Her voice was shaky, weak, and it seemed like she was about to cry again. Struggling to put a cheerful expression on his face, Matt crossed the room and kissed her on the cheek.

"Honey. Do you feel better now?"

Her smile was faint, almost unnoticeable.

"A little." She looked a little guilty. "Sorry for that... episode. I shouldn't pity myself, I know, it just... I don't know what that was."

"It's okay." He pulled her down on the sofa. "I guess you..." He hesitated. "I think you needed that. You needed to know... that, if it never happens, we will still be together." With a sigh, he drew her close. "Dammit, Beth, why didn't you ever say anything? Why didn't you tell me what you were thinking?"

"First I thought it was stupid", she whispered, "then I was afraid that… if I told you... it would become true in the end."

"You do know this is absolutely ridiculous?"

"Because you told me it is", Beth murmured, toying with one of the cushions, "but the thought seemed so real before."

With a heavy sigh, Matt pulled his wife into a tight embrace. Again, she held on to him as if for dear life.

"Honey, please. Stop thinking about this so much. At least as long as we are here. You know nothing will change between us. But to be honest, it is a little bit exhausting to deal with your mood swings."

He smiled when Beth made a noise vaguely resembling a giggle. Her grip loosened a little, although she didn't let go entirely. He leaned back, pulling her with him, and finally relaxed when Beth didn't cling to him, but instead just snuggled closer – as she had done countless times, before she had grown so desperate about having a child. Believing this episode was eventually over, he closed his eyes and enjoyed the warmth and closeness to his wife. Maybe, if he could just convince her to unwind a little from everything that was bothering her, she would see clear – and maybe, just maybe, this would help them to finally get what they wished for.


	3. Urban Legends

_ So, apparently, someone is reading this story, so I'll keep updating. Maybe someone likes it enough to drop me a review? ;) _

* * *

><p>They left the cabin half an hour before lunch time. Not wanting to stay confined to the small rooms, Beth had suggested taking a walk before Mrs. Morrison would serve the meal. After she'd made herself presentable again, they'd wandered off to explore the surrounding area on their way to the main house. There wasn't much to find, though. Gravelled paths connected the cabins, of which only two others seemed to be occupied. In between, a few benches were scattered along the paths, and in the middle of the compound sat a pavilion with a grill and a few picnic tables. Apart from the common room and the playground area, this was the only place for holiday visitors to get together. Finishing their stroll along a stream running towards the direction of the lake, they arrived for lunch a little early. The table in the dining area of the common room was already set, but no-one else was in sight yet. From the kitchen came the faint sound of footsteps and metal against metal. Moments later, the door was pushed open, and Mrs. Morrison appeared, carrying a large covered pot. When she noticed the couple lingering by the door, she smiled widely at them.<p>

"So you got a little rest, then?"

"A little." Beth motioned at the pot Mrs. Morrison had placed on the table. "This smells delicious. What is it?"

"Chicken stew, southern style. My sister gave me the recipe. She moved to North Carolina years ago with her husband, it's quite popular there." She pulled pack two chairs. "Sit, I'll go get the bread."

Finally noticing how hungry she was, Beth sat on the chair closest to the pot, causing Matt to laugh.

"I told you you should've eaten more than a slice of toast before we left."

"I wasn't hungry _then_", Beth reminded him. Her husband just grinned and seemed about to answer, when the front door burst open and the hall was filled with the high-pitched voices of children.

"I'll sit by the window!"

"You sat there yesterday!"

"Mooom, tell Darren-"

The two identical boys abruptly fell silent when they entered the room and noticed the two adults at the table.

"What is it now?"

Their parents followed, looking tired, with the father carrying a little girl of about three years. Their expressions instantly changed when they realised what had silenced the bickering of their sons. The woman, a tiny brunette, smiled.

"Oh. I didn't know there were new guest." She made a gesture implying to her whole family. "I'm Liz Di'Anno. That's Paul and Rebecca, and those two troublemakers are Darren and Cory." She nudged the two of them. "Say hi, boys."

"Hi." One of the boys even managed to wave a hand before they started fighting about the window seat again while their father let little Rebecca down. The girl immediately tried to climb a chair on her own. Matt stood up again, introducing himself and his wife.

"It's our first day here, we just arrived this morning."

"Oh, you'll love it here." Liz sat down beside Beth, her husband taking a seat on the other side of the table, ending the boy's discussion before it could become violent and placing one of them on either side of his own chair. "We come here every year."

"They are regulars, alright." Mrs. Morrison had returned from the kitchen, placed a basket of still-warm bread on the table and sat down herself. "Visiting every spring for six years now. I'm always looking forward to that time of the year", she added with a wink. Liz shook her head, reaching for the ladle and starting to pass bowls of steaming hot stew around the table.

"I can hardly believe that. The twins grow more rampant each year. One day they'll tear down a wall or something, looking for monsters and ghosts. Here you go."

"Thanks." Beth took her bowl, reached for a piece of bread and crumbled it into the liquid. "Monsters and ghosts? Exactly what is this place? Haunted or something?"

Laughing, Liz dug her spoon into her own serving.

"No, don't worry. You didn't end up in a ghost town. It's just urban legends, that's all."

"They say a monster is living in the lake!" Darren – or Cory – informed them, sounding more excited than scared, "It's a kraken that pulls down ships and swimmers!"

"It's not a kraken!" his brother objected, "It's a giant fish with teeth, and he eats people!"

"No, it's not! It's a kraken, with tentacles and stuff!"

Shaking her head, Liz left the boys to their argument and turned back to Beth.

"That's one story. There's rumour about people who hear cries echo over the lake's surface, and ghosts haunting one of the other towns in the area. I think it's just those working in the tourism business trying to get people to visit their town again."

"You talking about that Silent Hill town?"

When Liz nodded, Beth looked at her husband, surprised. "And how do _you_ know about that?"

Shrugging, Matt helped himself to another slice of bread. "I read something when I was looking for a place to stay. Something about weird incidents, people disappearing and turning up again as, well, ghosts."

"Sounds like a cheerful place. And that's one of the resort towns in the area?"

"Yes." Liz made a vague gesture. "We've been there once or twice. Not much to see there. They have a theatre and an amusement park, that's about it. And the park isn't even that much fun. In fact, the whole town is kinda creepy. As I said, I think they spread the rumour themselves to gain some visitors again. Ghost hunters and such weirdoes, maybe."

"I don't think we'll go there, anyway," Matt said. Silently, Beth agreed with him. That town didn't exactly sound like the place to be. Slowly, the conversation moved on to more pleasant topics, and when they'd finished the vanilla pudding Mrs. Morrison had served as a dessert, Liz had offered to show them some of the lesser known spots, where barely any tourists were seen. Chattering about this and that, the two women trailed behind their husbands on their way back to the cabins. Little Rebecca skipped along on her mother's side, holding on to Liz's hand while humming off-key a vaguely familiar tune.

"So, are you two on your honeymoon?" Liz finally asked. The woman didn't seem nosy, just superficially curious, so Beth decided to answer honestly. As honestly as she could, that was.

"No. We've been married for three years, actually. We are just… we thought getting out of town for a while would be nice."

"One last vacation before the kids take up all your time?"

She didn't mean to hurt her. Her voice was all playful and joking, but still Beth had to bite back a sharp retort. No need to repel people just because she was feeling miserable. Struggling to keep her composure, she shrugged.

"Maybe we still have some years until that."

"Can as well use them, right?" Liz smiled as they reached the path leading to their cabin. Their husbands were waiting; the twin boys had already run off to play somewhere else. Reminding Beth to just ask them if they needed a tour around the area, the Di'Annos took off to their place, while Beth and Matt lazily strolled along the path that led to her cabin. She knew Matt liked to relax a little after a good meal, but right now she didn't feel like staying inside. Instead, when Matt unlocked the door and headed for the bedroom, she held him back.

"Matt?"

He turned around. "What is it?"

"Could we… do you mind if we take a look around the town? I think I need some fresh air."

That was a shabby excuse, but her husband just shrugged.

"Sure. Why not? Maybe we can find a café or something."

"You just had stew and pudding!"

Grinning, Matt raised his hands as if in defence.

"There's always room for pie, you know?"

"I know." Beth rolled her yes. "I really wonder how it is that you still look as gorgeous as you do."

With a smirk on his face, Matt pulled her into his arms and kissed her.

"It's because I know it drives you mad just _how_ gorgeous I am", he whispered. His next kiss was deeper, more passionate, and suddenly, Beth found the thought of locking herself into a room rather intriguing. As long as Matt was with her.

"You know, I think the town can wait a little longer", she murmured, pressing herself against her husband's muscular body. A ripple of laughter came from Matt. Without warning, he scooped her up into his arms and carried her into the bedroom.

"You don't say."


	4. Down The Rabbit Hole

_So, I'm back. Finally, after an internship, three term papers and two essays, plus a short story of 40,000 words for a contest, all due this weekend… Not much time left to write. And just FYI, if you're reading one of my other stories: Don't worry, I didn't abandon them, I just had limited time to work on my own projects, and since I was playing a lot of Silent Hill lately for my bachelor thesis, my SH story was top priority._

_Just a short note on the environment I put my characters in: There's, of course, the town. The town map I'm using is the one from The Silent Hill Wiki, originally created by Guy on the Couch. He's on DeviantArt, if you'd like to check it out. Some of the infamous locations will appear, too. Currently, I included Alchemilla Hospital in my plans as well as Midwich Elementary, Cedar Grove and the Lakeview Amusement Park. I mostly use the Silent Hill Wiki for research as well as the Nightmare Games Forums (user Cheryl put most of the information I used together). So, thanks to everyone who bothered to piece together the various SH encyclopedias out there. Your previous work makes mine now a lot easier ;)_

_Anyway, without further ado, here's the next chapter:_

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><p>The next few weeks were the happiest in a long time. It took Beth a few days, but finally she managed to let go of her worries and fears. She even could almost believe that Matt was right; that it would just take a little more time.<p>

Their stay at Hemingworth Creek was as quiet and peaceful as she could wish. They hadn't told anyone where they were going, and Matt had insisted on turning their cell phones off at arrival. After a few days, Beth felt particularly grateful for that. At home, both her mother and Matt's parents were frequently asking about 'when they'd make them grandparents', with her own mother being exceedingly insensitive about the subject. Beth even had the strong feeling that her mother wouldn't approve of them _only_ adopting a child, let alone staying childless altogether. At least her in-laws showed some sympathy on her being unable to conceive, whereas her mother just demanded they 'try harder'. Worst thing was Joyce didn't even _mean_ to be cruel. She was just wishing for both Beth and Matt to become a happy family and her own family line to survive. It would've been easier to bear if she'd just been a nasty bitch.

Here, Beth didn't have to worry about anything. They had decided to prepare their own meals save for the weekends, when they went to the main house and ate with whoever was there. A week after they had arrived, the Di'Annos had departed, but not before showing them some exceptionally beautiful spots in the area; among them were a small clearing where a century old oak tree stood guard beside a small pond, and a gazebo on top of a hill, overlooking the town and Toluca Lake in the distance alike.

They'd spend a lot of time exploring the region, both by foot and by car. Some of the nearby towns offered outstanding artwork and handicraft, and after two weeks, Matt had begun joking about how they'd need to rent a bus to transport it all back to Glens Falls. He seemed however happy that Beth didn't feel so woeful anymore and didn't mind her shopping for souvenirs wherever they went. He even wore the admittedly stupid lobster t-shirt they seemed to sell at every run-down kiosk in the state, stating with a grin that even this ridiculous attire couldn't affect his good looks.

It was three days before their scheduled departure that Matt suggested they rent a boat and row out on the lake.

"There are some islands in the lake. We could take a picnic basket." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, which never failed to make Beth laugh and _want_ him at the same time. "And we would be all alone."

Giggling, Beth linked arms with him. "I'd like that, Mr. Brown. Just don't let my husband know."

"Never. As long as you don't tell my wife."

After preparing a basket they had borrowed from Mrs. Morrison, they set out for the shores of Toluca Lake. They had bypassed some boat rentals during their previous visits, but had never hired a boat before. Now Matt chose a bright green rowing boat, big enough to fit three or four people.

"So my beautiful wife can sprawl and enjoy the sun", Matt remarked as they cast off. There was indeed enough room for Beth to lean back and outstretch her legs while Matt rowed out onto the lake. One hand dipped lazily into the water, she closed her eyes and allowed herself to zone out. It was the most beautiful day since they had arrived; finally warm enough to wear only a thin jacket over their shirts, and to take off even that while they were in the sun. It was the perfect day for a romantic picnic at a secluded island.

The shadow of a cloud glided over the boat, momentarily taking away the warmth of the sun. Impatiently, Beth waited for it to pass, and irritated opened her eyes when it didn't.

"Don't tell me it's getting cloudy _now_", she complained – and then froze. "What the hell…?"

It wasn't just a cloud. One second to the next, they were enclosed by fog so thick Beth couldn't see the shore anymore. Confused, she looked at her husband.

"Did you see that when we took off?"

Matt shook his head, looking as bewildered as she was. "No. The sky was crystal clear and the lake as well."

"What do we do?" Freezing in the chilly air, Beth put on her jacket. She peeked around, trying in vain to find some point of orientation. "Where are we?"

"We can't be far from the shore. I could still see the café near the boat rental." Suddenly looking very uncomfortable, Matt glanced at his wife. "We should return to the landing stage, at least until the fog is gone again."

"Might be best", Beth murmured, "I don't like this mist. It has a weird feeling to it."

"Unnatural, somehow", Matt added. He almost looked scared, which didn't do much to calm Beth. She pulled her knees to her chest while Matt turned the boat. But unnatural was right. How had the fog gathered so quickly? And why couldn't she hear a sound anymore? There had been other tourists out on the lake; they must have been as surprised by the sudden change of weather as they were. And not to mention that the birds had fallen completely silent. What was going on here?

"Hello?" she called out, hoping that someone would answer, guiding them into the direction of the shore. "Hello! Somebody hear me?"

She received no answer. All she could hear was the water splashing against their boat as Matt headed for what they hoped was the shore. Time seemed to pass ever so slowly, and Beth wondered if they were heading into the wrong direction, with each stroke carrying them further away from the safety of solid ground. It took a load off Beth's mind when she finally saw a faint shadow appear in front of them. "We're almost there."

She didn't take her eyes off the shadow as they approached. But her relief turned into confusion as the shadow became first an unfamiliar, tall outline and then a proper building.

"What the…? That's not the café."

"What?"

Matt turned around, curious about what Beth had seen. "Where _are_ we?"

Right in front of them, on a patch of rock, stood a lighthouse. There had been no lighthouse on the eastern shore of the lake. This certainly wasn't the place where they'd left from.

"Does this look familiar to you?" Matt turned to his wife. "I think I've seen this before."

"Do you?" Beth mulled over this for a second. "Have we visited this place in the past weeks?"

"I don't think so." Matt picked up the oars again. "Let's see if we can get ashore somewhere. I'd much rather wait out this damnable weather in a café or something."

To Beth it seemed as if it took them forever, but finally they found a landing stage protruding into the lake. Matt fastened the boat's rope on a pole before helping his wife out of the vessel.

"Let's get inside somewhere."

They proceeded towards the sandy beach, eager to leave this unnatural weather behind as soon as possible. Beth still couldn't hear a sound; so close to a town this was even creepier than out on the lake.

"Wait a minute."

Matt stopped dead in his tracks, almost causing Beth to stumble. Confused, she looked at her husband, who gazed at something behind her. "What?"

"I know where we are. This is Silent Hill."

"Wait, what?"

She turned around. Matt pointed toward an imposing building about a hundred yards away from the shore. "This is the Lake View Hotel. I saw it on the town's tourism site."

Beth let out a relieved sigh. "Thank God. That means we can get out of this fog and sit it out at the bar."

Chuckling, Matt switched the basket to his left hand, and they walked across the neatly trimmed lawn toward the hotel. But as happy as Beth was to finally have found a sign of civilisation again, she couldn't quite shake off the eerie feeling of being watched. Still, there was no sign of a human being anywhere around.

"Are you sure this is a hotel and not just some vacant old building?" she whispered. Her husband shrugged.

"It said on the website you could book a room. I suppose it is still in operation." He pulled her close and kissed her on top of her head. "Don't worry. It's just the fog. This weather is creeping me out, too." Almost inaudible, he added, "and I didn't think we were that far away from the shore."

His uncertainty of where they were unsettled Beth even more than the fog and silence did. She felt huge relief when they had rounded the building and reached the front door. Until she noticed the empty parking lot. Empty except for one car.

It was rusted, the tires worn, and parked crooked right in front of the entrance – with what seemed to be a steel pipe embedded into the hood. Beside the right front tire, Beth spotted a dark stain on the pavement, emerging from under the car. She absolutely didn't want to know what _that_ was.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Beth tried to see through the fog, to find something else than nothing, but the car remained the only sign of human presence in the area. "Where is everybody? Shouldn't there at least be… someone from the valet parking, or a doorman?" She tugged at Matt's sleeve. "I don't like this. Let's get back to the boat."

"We can't." Matt rubbed her back in a futile attempt to calm her. "We would get lost on the lake again."

Slowly, he moved around the car, peering inside, searching for the driver. If there had been one in the first place. "Hello?"

He received no answer. Instead, he recoiled the very moment he could see what was on the other side.

"Holy shit!"

She didn't really want to know. All she wanted was turn around, run to the boat, jump in and get away from this place as fast as she could. Still, something drew her closer to whatever Matt had found.

Turned out it was the source of the blood staining the ground. It looked like an animal, perhaps a cat or a small dog, partially run over by the car. Nothing unusual. Only it had neither fur nor eyes anymore.

"Someone ran over a skinned cat?" Disgusted, Beth looked at the maimed body. "How did this thing even get here?"

"Okay, this is getting creepier by the minute." Matt handed Beth the basket. "You carry it. I'll take this, just… just in case."

Grasping the handle, Beth watched nervously as Matt climbed the battered hood and pulled at the pipe. He wouldn't believe they needed a weapon just because they'd found a dead cat, would he?

She glanced around, expecting someone or _something_ to jump at them any second. She dearly hoped this would prove to be nothing more than some kind of sick joke; but then again, how could anyone produce such a fog and clear a whole hotel just for fun?

The metal hood gave a piercing screech when Matt pulled the pipe free. He jumped down, holding it like a baseball bat.

"Better safe than sorry", he muttered, "let's just hope we don't need it, and they're just… shooting a movie here or something."

He looked at the hotel, then at his wife. "Shall we see if someone's in there?"

Having no idea what else to do in a town like this, Beth just nodded. She didn't want to go inside this building, but just thinking about the dead cat made her sick. Anywhere would be better than here beside the cadaver of an eyeless, skinned animal.

As they approached the door, Beth noticed it stood slightly ajar. No doorman was waiting to greet the guests; in fact, as they entered the entrance hall, it was completely deserted. Not a soul in sight.

Still, upon examining the spacious room, Beth noticed that every surface, every piece of furniture was spotless and pristine, as if someone had just cleaned the place.

"Where are all the people?" Matt rounded the counter, rummaging through what sounded like paper. "Everything's here, keys, reservations, someone even left a cup of coffee." He frowned and glanced around, suddenly looking very aware. "It looks like everyone just dropped everything and fled the place."

"Yeah. Right after cleaning up." Beth rubbed her hand over the counter. "See? Not a single dust grain. As if… as if they'd vanished into thin air." Shaking her head, she moved a little closer to her husband. "Could it have been some kind of accident? Chemicals or something? Maybe that's what caused the fog, and they evacuated the town."

"Wouldn't we have noticed? If this fog stuff was dangerous, I mean?" Matt glared at the empty hall one last time, then grabbed Beth's hand and pulled her toward the exit. "I don't know what's going on here, but you're right. We should get away from here, _now_."

He pushed the door open – and stopped dead. "What on earth is _that_?"

They weren't alone anymore. For a brief second, Beth felt relief – someone was standing beside the car. She didn't care who it was, she was just glad there was someone else. She took a step forward, only to be rudely held back by her husband.

"Don't. Don't go near it."

"It?" Now Beth finally examined the person more closely. "What do you mean, _it_?"

And then she saw what he meant by 'it'.

What she'd mistaken for a human being, turning their back on them, was actually a… thing facing them. A thing with no arms and no face, swaying on unnaturally bent legs. On second sight, though, it looked more like someone wearing a strait jacket, trying to break free of its bonds. And where the face of a human would have been, this thing has something vaguely resembling an oversized mouth with sharp teeth, splitting its face in half from forehead to chin. Twisting and wriggling, it stood beside the car, not making a move to get near them. Yet. Terrified, Beth watched as the thing made a few staggering steps, seemingly aimless – before turning directly at them and starting to walk in their direction. It made some muffled, distorted noises as it bent forward and suddenly moved faster than Beth would've ever expected.

"Get inside!"

Matt didn't even wait for her to obey; he just shoved her back into the building and slammed the door shut before dodging the figure's attack at the last second. It ran violently into the door; the glass shook, but didn't give in. Barely noticing she'd dropped the basket, Beth clutched her hands to her chest, watching in horror as the thing stood up straight again and launched another attack at her husband.

"Watch out!" she screamed, her voice nearly cracking with hysteria at the sight of Matt, armed only with a steel pipe, fighting what seemed to be some twisted creature from a sick horror movie. He dodged the second attack, and as the creature stumbled after missing its target, he brought down the pipe as hard as he could on the figure's back. The thing fell to the ground, moving and struggling to get back on its feet instantly. Matt didn't give it time to recover. He swung the pipe again and again, until it lay motionless on the ground, a bloody heap, looking more like a bag stuffed with flesh and bones than a human being. Wide-eyed, Beth stared at the body, only to get jolted out of her trance by her husband's voice.

"Beth! Behind you!"

She whirled around, and her heart almost stopped. In the lobby, with her, there was another creature, and the moment she'd turned around it had started running toward her. Screaming, Beth threw herself aside, avoiding impact by a hair's breadth. The thing crashed into the door, this time shattering the glass and falling down in a rain of shards.

"Beth!" Someone grabbed her arm. "Run!"

Matt pulled her out through the empty doorframe, almost making her trip over the creature's twisting body. He didn't look back as he ran, dragging Beth with him, around the corner and toward the landing stage where they'd left their boat. If they could just reach the lake, they could leave this place, call the police, the military, or whoever was in charge of-

"Goddammit!" Matt skidded to a halt, pulling her behind his back with one swift movement. "They're everywhere!"

Behind the hotel, the lawn seemed to be swarming with those creatures, and at least a dozen of them were moving into their general direction. Fast.

"What now?"

Panicking, Beth clung to Matt, even though he looked just as scared as she must.

"The town. There must be _someone_ to help us!"

They turned around and ran off into the opposite direction. Paying no attention to the creature from the lobby wandering about the parking lot, they sprinted past. The lot seemed unnaturally wide, but in a split second of reason, Beth assumed that was due to her fear. It couldn't have been more than fifty yards until they reached a street, some rural road, with a sign pointing to the right, reading 'Silent Hill, 1 Mile'.

"Come on, this way."

Beth didn't think anymore. She followed Matt's lead mindlessly, clinging to him and the shred of hope that they could, somehow, make it and find someone who could help them get out of this godforsaken town.

When they'd finally reached a bridge with a sign indicating they were now 'Entering Old Silent Hill', she felt her strength dwindling rapidly. She did exercise once or twice a week, but that didn't mean she was as athletic as Matt was. Her lungs burned, and a severe side stitch eventually made it impossible for her to run any further. Breathing heavily, she let go of Matt's hand and dropped on all fours. The moment she let go, Matt spun around to see what was wrong.

"Beth? Come on, we have to get away from the streets!"

"I can't", Beth managed to get out. She was feeling slightly nauseous, and the ground below her hands and feet seemed to shift. Her head started spinning when Matt yanked her back on her feet.

"Just a few yards, come on." He was panting, but otherwise seemed to be okay. "See the building over there? We can hide in there."

Leaning heavily on her husband, Beth managed to stumble forward. She couldn't help it when the images of the skinned cat and the dead creature forced their way into her mind. Blind panic threatened to overwhelm her, and she didn't dare let go of Matt's hand again. His fingers felt hot against her own cold skin, reassuring her that she wasn't alone in this nightmare. Matt was brave; he was strong, he would protect her…


	5. Dreamscapes

_Hello again... to whoever reads this :)_

_I'm really, really sorry for the delay, but after the internship followed a busy semester with me trying to get my hands on the last signatures I needed to finally write my thesis (seriously, I swear my professors were hiding on purpose), writing said thesis, moving to another city and life in general. And Skyrim, but that doesn't count, right? Right? :O_

_So, basically, thanks JG Studios and anon asdf for reviewing, and I hope you'll come back for this one, too :)_

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><p>Keeping Beth on her feet as best as he could, Matt directed her toward the diner he had spotted not far away. The fog seemed to have cleared a little, and he was relieved at the sight of the empty drive-through and parking lot. A quick glance over his shoulder confirmed that the bridge behind them was empty as well. Apparently, they had lost the monsters chasing them. No need to be careless, though. He crossed the square, Beth in tow, and upon reaching the door peeked inside the building. The place seemed just as deserted as the hotel had been; he couldn't see any movement inside. Deciding it was safer to get inside an unknown building than to stay out in the open, he opened the door.<p>

Inside, the tiny restaurant looked much like the hotel, with every surface wiped clean and no soul in sight. He dragged Beth over to one of the booths, where she slumped on a bench, looking alarmingly lifeless apart from her ragged breathing.

"Stay here, I'll check the place."

Luckily, the blinds had already been let down by someone, so he focused on making sure the kitchen and restrooms were clear. Behind the counter, he found the keys to the front and back doors, which he immediately locked. When he passed the phone in the back he thought about calling 911, but when he picked up the handset, he received no dial tone. Frustrated, he hung up again. After double-checking even the store room, he grabbed a bottle of water and returned to his wife.

"Beth?" He dropped the bloody steel pipe and sat down beside her, carefully touching her back. "Are you okay?"

She nodded, eyes fixed on the table. When he took her hand, her skin was cold as ice. As he touched her, she began to shiver, and when she looked at him, her expression was one of sheer terror.

"What was that?" Her voice was barely a whisper. "Who are they? Are they even human? Why did they attack us?"

With each word, her breathing became more laboured again. Matt quickly uncapped the bottle and handed it to her, making sure her grip was secure before letting go. "Here. Have a drink. You need that now."

It was almost scary how obediently she followed his orders. She didn't even seem to notice that she almost emptied the bottle with a few large gulps. Absently, she put the bottle back on the table. When she spoke, her voice sounded somewhat normal again.

"You saved my life", she breathed, "you saved me out there."

Next thing he knew she had flung herself into his arms, holding on so tightly it was difficult for him to breathe. Nevertheless, he firmly clung to his wife, restlessly stroking her back.

Now that the rush of adrenaline left him, he started feeling weary; it wasn't only Beth anymore who was trembling now.

"You saved me", she sobbed, burying her face at his chest, "I'm so sorry… you saved me…"

He held her for what seemed like an eternity, her slowly warming body lying heavily in his arms. Her sentences were incoherent at best, but he didn't mind. He was relieved that she was talking at all. Her mumbled nonsense made it easier not to think. He didn't _dare_ thinking about what had just happened, out of fear that he would lose it if he allowed himself to reflect the attack of those creatures and his own actions. There would be time to cope once they got out of this nightmare.

After a while, they both calmed down again. Finally, Beth managed to sit up straight. She still looked shaken and frightened, but it seemed like she had herself under control again.

"What do we do now?"

-o-

She looked at Matt, hoping with all her heart that he would comfort her, tell her that they would just call the police, sit here and wait until they came and took them safely away from here, out of this hellish nightmare of a town. But he didn't. Now that she had a good grip on herself again, he looked like he was about to have a breakdown himself. She softly touched his pale cheek.

"Are you alright?"

First he didn't answer; then, finally, he managed a weak smile.

"I'm okay. I'm not the one who needs to exercise more."

Beth made a noise vaguely resembling a laugh, while her eyes welled up again. Exhausted, she leaned her head against his shoulder.

"I'm sorry I slowed you down. Won't happen again."

"Don't worry." He laid and arm around her shoulders and pulled her a little closer. "We made it, that's what matters."

"Yeah. We made it." She paused. "And what do we do now?"

Again, he didn't have an answer. He just kept staring at the opposite wall.

"I don't know", he finally said, "I mean… that town is swarming with those things, and all we have is a rusty old pipe." He laughed without a trace of humour. "What do you suggest we do now?"

It nearly broke her heart, seeing him like that. He, who was always the hopeful one, the one who saw the bright side of everything… if he didn't believe they could make it out of this place safely, then how should she believe that?

"We could try and find the police station", she mused, "I mean, there must be _someone_. Even if there was a chemical spill, someone should've organized evacuation. Maybe they're still here."

"A chemical spill?" Matt looked at her in disbelief. "How could this have been caused by a chemical spill?"

"I don't know!" Frustrated, Beth ran her fingers through her hair. "Maybe those things were… mutated people, maybe they lived here before."

Matt's expression darkened.

"Thanks. That really helps me now."

"Oh God, Matt, I'm sorry!" She reached out to him, but didn't dare touch him. "I'm so sorry… but… you just did it to save us! They attacked us, what else could you have done?"

"I don't know." His words were hollow, his voice thick. "I have no idea…"

He didn't move when she finally took his hand. Pushing her own fear aside, at least for a moment, she leaned against him.

"You did it to save us. To save _me_."

"I know." He absently stroked her hand. "But… what if that… thing really was a person? What if I killed a human being?"

"I…" She hesitated. "I don't know about that. But... you know, just forget what I said. I'm not sure if they really are human. Not anymore. I mean, just look at this place. It's a ghost town where just a regular resort town should be. Everything inside the buildings is absolutely spotless, but no-one's there who could've done that. The car, the… cat, those weird creatures… I don't know what this is, but I don't think it's… human."

She straightened herself when Matt gave her a suspicious look. "What do you mean, not human?"

Avoiding his gaze, Beth wrung her hands while she spoke.

"Like I said. This fog, the empty town, the creatures…" Finally, she mustered up the courage to look at her husband. "I think this could be some sort of… supernatural incident. Like in the movies, you know?"

"You… this… _what_?" For a moment, Matt seemed speechless. "You are talking about a _literal_ ghost town?"

"I know this sounds crazy." Beth played with the bottle cap on the table. "But I have no idea what else could've caused this." She smiled dryly. "People have believed in gods and miracles for millennia. How come no-one admits to believe in ghosts?"

"…alright. Point taken." Matt took a deep breath, then looked at her, a stern expression on his face. "I don't know _what_ this is. But, ghosts or not, I sure as hell don't want to stay here any longer than necessary. Fine, we can't get to the boat, but you're right. If there is someone in this goddamn town, they'll likely be at the police station. So… I think we should get there rather sooner than later."

He drank off what was left in the bottle, picked up the pipe and stood up. "Come on. Let's go."

At the door, he fumbled with the keys, but Beth took his arm. "Wait."

"What is it? Something wrong?"

"No." Beth pointed to the kitchen. "I just though… if there are more… creatures out there, maybe I should take a… a knife or something."

"Right. Right… let's have a look, then."

They searched the pristine kitchen for something bigger than a paring knife. In such a small diner, there wasn't much variety of kitchenware, but finally, they came across a meat knife, long enough for Beth to defend herself, if necessary. On her way to the front door she grabbed another bottle of water and a Twinkie and stuffed both in her purse; her own food and drinks lay scattered on the floor of the hotel foyer, and she had the dull feeling they might be stuck in this town way past lunchtime. At the door, her husband was peeking through the blinds.

"Something out there?"

He shook his head. "I can't see anything."

She took his hand. "Then what are we waiting for?"

None of them wanted to leave this tiny little safe-room, but if they ever wanted to get out of this, they had to. And so they slowly made their way across the parking lot, always watching out for movement in the fog. The streets looked deserted; but that was not the only one of their worries.

"And where do we start?" she whispered, reluctant to make any kind of noise out of fear that those things might find them. Matt shrugged, peering around.

"I don't know. But there's a motel over there. Maybe they have a map there."

"You do remember what happened in the last hotel?" she hissed, but didn't protest when Matt pulled her along.

"Would you rather we run around this town without any clue as to where we are?" he replied. She shook her head, although he couldn't see it, and didn't say anything as he warily approached the motel's door. It stood wide open, and on the front desk sat a display with various brochures. Matt turned to her.

"You stay here and watch out. I'll just get a map."

While Matt disappeared into the dimly lit room, Beth stayed by the door and kept an eye on the streets. She couldn't see anything, but that did nothing to dull the feeling of being watched. Images of twisted things with too many eyes forced their way into her thoughts, and she had to bring up all her courage not to run off into the fog. She felt incredible relief when Matt returned, waving what appeared to be a map of the town.

"Got it."

Both he and Beth crouched on the ground while he spread the map in front of them. It was a tourist map, showing hotels, shops and restaurants alongside the most prominent facilities, like hospitals and churches.

"We are here." Matt sighed in frustration. "And the police station is all the way across the town."

"You mean we have to get to the other side of a monster-infested town _on foot_?"

The panic must have been written clearly in her face, for Matt pulled her close and kissed the top of her head.

"Don't worry. I won't let anything get near you. And on the bright side," he pointed to the map, "we'll just have to follow the road beside the river, and we can't miss the building."

Nervously, Beth clasped the handle of her knife tighter. "Can't we just hijack a car or something?"

Matt gave an almost amused snort. "If I find one, I'll let you know." He folded the map and put it in his pocket. Then he took Beth's hand and pulled her to her feet. "Come on, let's get moving. We shouldn't stay here too long."

They advanced slowly, cautiously, careful not to alert whatever might be lurking in the fog. The road identified by the signs as Riverside Drive was quiet; they saw no-one for almost half of the way. By then, they didn't even expect to see anyone anymore.

It was not until they reached an accumulation of buildings to their left that something appeared in front of them. Upon the staggering movements of the figure, they didn't even bother to call out. Matt raised the pipe and took a step forward.

"Watch my back, will you?"

Beth did as he said, keeping an eye on the roads branching off of the Drive; as before, she couldn't shake off the feeling that somebody was watching them.

She was proven right when several other figures emerged from the fog between the buildings, closing in on them and cutting off every possible escape route.

"Matt?" Her voice cracked with panic. "There are more of them!"

He swore obscenely, accompanied by a sickening noise of bones breaking. "How many?"

"Seven!"

She twitched nervously when Matt appeared at her side; there was a stain on his shirt looking all too much like blood.

"Are you hurt?"

"It tried to bite me. I'm fine." He moved a little. "Can you take on two of them?"

"I think so. I hope." Then she understood what that meant. "Are you crazy? You can't fight five at once!"

This thought seemed to occur to him only now, for he suddenly grew very pale.

"Okay, then what?"

Beth racked her brain for a solution, but could only come up with one. "Run?" Even now, Matt managed to scowl at her, and she quickly explained what she meant. "We go left. There are two. We knock them over and run for the police station." And hope that someone was there who could bring them to safety – or at least had a gun and knew how to use it.

"Alright. On three. One... two... go!"

They bolted, weapons at the ready and hoping for the best as they dashed past the two creatures. Matt had no trouble knocking the one on his side to the ground, while Beth slammed her shoulder into the figure, the impact almost making her fall herself. Matt caught her before she fell, and once again, they made a run for it.

From the corners of her eyes, Beth saw more creatures in the fog left and right while they ran. They seemed to appear from every street, every narrow alley they passed, and suddenly, she wasn't sure anymore the police station would prove to be as safe as they thought. But still, it was the only place she could think of where they might find help, and so she kept running, hoping for the best.

"Beth, stop!"  
>She almost fell over when Matt came to a sudden halt, grabbing her arm and pulling her back forcefully. Am moment later, and she would have fallen.<p>

"What the hell is that?"

Ever so carefully, they both leaned forward. Right in front of them, the pavement was cracked open. Not only cracked, but split from one side of the road to the other, revealing what looked like a fog-filled abyss, so deep Beth couldn't see the bottom. On each side, rocks and pebbles were scattered. She must've knocked at least some of them into the crack, but she was almost sure she hadn't heard them hit the bottom.

"Maybe the street got undermined? Maybe that's why-"

Moaning and shuffling noises behind them made them turn around. The creatures had followed them. Or maybe those were a different group, who knew. All Beth saw was half a dozen armless monsters staggering toward them. And their escape route was a death trap.

"We gotta get inside."

She tugged at Matt's sleeve. Her husband had already raised his weapon, ready to defend them. But he couldn't possibly come out of this alive. "Matt, we have to get inside a building!"

"Goddammit, Beth, _where_?!"

The figures were almost in arms reach when they stopped, twisting and turning like they were sick. Then, without warning, one of them bent backwards and spit out some black liquid – what Beth had thought to be wounds in their chests were actually, what, mouths?

She almost skidded over the edge of the chasm when she stumbled out of the way. Matt wasn't quick enough this time; some of the liquid splashed his forearm. With a cry, he clutched his arm, dropping the pipe.

"It's acid!" He stumbled backwards, bumping into Beth. "These things spit acid!"

When the next creature bent over, Beth didn't take the time to make a plan. She grabbed her husband's arm and ran. Pushing one of the creatures into the fog-filled abyss, they sprinted past the others, towards their only chance of escape: a three-story building to their right. It was a hospital, Beth noticed when they passed the gate in the chain-link fence skirting the parking lot and the entrance to the ER. After they had pushed the doors open, practically falling into the waiting area, Beth had just enough time to struggle to her feet and barricade the doors provisionally with a broken off chair leg she shoved through the handles. Seconds later, something heavy slammed into the doors, making the hinges creak. Beth watched for seemingly endless moments, waiting for a second impact, but it never came. Whatever these things were, it looked like they couldn't handle blocked doors. Good to know.

Slowly, Beth returned her attention to Matt. Her husband sat on the floor, still cradling his arm, breathing heavily. Beth knelt beside him, carefully pulling his hand aside.

"Let me see."

The acid had burnt the back of his hand and the part of his arm around the wrist. The skin was deep red, and where the big drops had hit him, the liquid had seeped deeply into his flesh. Beth realised that if this wasn't treated properly, he could lose his hand. His right hand. His drawing hand. No way she would let that happen.

"Can you feel anything?"

"It hurts like hell", Matt replied through clenched teeth. Beth let out a sigh of relief. No nerve damage, at least. She hastily skimmed the small room, but no first aid kit was in sight. She didn't want to leave him for only a second, and much less did she want to walk around on her own. But she had to, if she wanted to help him. With a last look at the door, she stood up.

"Watch out. If you hear something, hide. Don't make a noise."

"Beth, where-"

"This needs treatment. I can't let you risk infection. I'll go find something."

He seemed uncomfortable with the thought of her wandering off alone, but without a weapon and an injured hand he wouldn't be of much use anyway. "But be careful."

"I won't go far."

Hopefully, she didn't need to. There was an exam room nearby. Maybe there was something she could use.

The room looked much like the hotel and the diner. Contrary to the waiting area, where the furniture looked like it had been tossed around, the exam room was neat and tidy. Everything was in its place, making it easy for Beth to find a salve, gauze and some painkillers. She wasn't sure if this was right, but she couldn't think of anything else to do.

As she pocketed the bottle with the painkillers, a noise outside startled her. It didn't come from where she had left Matt. On the other side of the room was a second door, and something was behind it.

Beth panicked when the doorknob turned and the door was pushed open. Without taking a second look at the human looking figure entering the room, she whirled around and bolted. Matt pulled himself to his feet when he saw her run.

"There's something in the exam room!" Beth panted, pulling the knife out of her belt with shaking hands. She held it in front of her, hoping for her life that she would use it right, when the door she had slammed shut was opened again. Beth had expected another monster; so she was extremely surprised to hear a human voice.

"Who are you, and what are you doing here?"


	6. Nightfall

_This time, I present to you: the infamous Alchemilla hospital :) As I mentioned before, I used an ingame-map (namely this one: ), but I took some artistic liberties, like adding an ER between the restrooms and the storeroom on the first floor. I suppose I thought a proper hospital needs an ER. I don't know, it made sense in my head… I mean, even the town map and the hospital floor plan don't correspond, so I sort of _haveto_ make something up…_

_Anyway, this is fiction, and some minor details hopefully won't keep you from enjoying the story :)_

_As always, thanks to my reviewers - and to my silent readers, too, although I'd appreciate your feedback as well ;)  
><em>

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><p>„Thanks."<p>

Beth managed to produce a smile when the elderly nurse handed her a cup of coffee. She sipped the bitter liquid while she watched as Dr. Abernathy tended to Matt's injured hand. After her first impulse to stab the stranger and run away, Beth had listened long enough for him to convince her that they weren't in immediate danger. He had told them he'd been just as surprised as they had been when he had discovered what had happened to the town.

"I'm chief of medicine here in Alchemilla", he said, reaching for the bottle of iodine. "It was just an ordinary day, I was in my office, paperwork, you know how it is. And when I went out to get a coffee and a donut – everyone was gone. Just like that. I found Susan here in the nurses' room upstairs, but no-one else was there."

"Just those monsters outside", Susan added. She was now standing beside the doctor, assisting him. "We can't go outside, we can't call for help, and sometimes the radio makes strange noises. When we heard you walking about I thought authorities had arrived, but… well, obviously not."

"Is there really no-one else left?" Beth insisted. "Police maybe, someone who knows what happened? I mean, if there was, I don't know, an accident or something, and they evacuated everyone, why was no-one left behind to secure the town?"

"If we knew, do you think we would just sit here and wait for someone to come get us?" The doctor shook his head. "We have three stories. From the roof, you can see pretty much the entire town, but we didn't see anything. The whole town is empty." He leaned back. "There. All patched up, you'll be as good as new."

Susan started to stow away spare bandages and several bottles. Meanwhile, Dr. Abernathy took some notes before motioning for Beth and Matt to follow him.

"Come on. Our kitchen is much more comfortable. Susan?"

"I'll be with you in a minute."

Beth picked up her knife, and together they followed the doctor through the empty corridor; only an abandoned wheelchair indicated that not long ago patients had been treated here. Upon entering the kitchen, Beth was surprised to find it much smaller than she had expected. In fact, it looked very much like any ordinary kitchen.

"This is where you cook for the patients?"

"Of course not." Dr. Abernathy smiled. "We are a small hospital, with rarely more than twenty, maybe twenty-five patients. We made a deal with a restaurant down the street. They deliver the meals twice per day, and one of our nurses organises breakfast. This kitchen is for our personal use." He grabbed a carton and held it out to the couple. "Donut?"

While Beth didn't really feel like eating, Matt gladly accepted, and they settled down at the table. Dr. Abernathy poured them all some fresh coffee before joining them. Now that his injury had been properly treated and he had received some painkillers, Matt looked a lot better; while feasting on the sugary pastries from the carton, he took his turn on questioning the doctor about the town.

Beth only listened with half an ear. Now that they were relatively safe, she suddenly felt very tired. If only she could fall asleep and wake up at home again, realising all this was just a weird dream, nothing more.

Like she would be _that_ lucky.

She played idly with her cup; when she finally took a sip the coffee inside had cooled down. Beth made a face and shoved the cup away. Then the cold drink made her think of something. Frowning, Beth looked up. "Where's Susan? She said she'd be with us in a minute."

The two men fell silent. Dr. Abernathy looked at the door. "I don't know." He stood up and smiled at them. "I'll go see if she's all right."

He left the room, leaving the door open. Beth listened as the sound of his footsteps receded. She couldn't help it; as nice as he seemed, she didn't trust Dr. Abernathy. Maybe it was the town, the fog, the whole screwed-up situation, but she just couldn't shake off the creeping paranoia. Being in a hospital didn't help, either. Over the past years she had developed a thorough dislike to hospitals. They were no more places of healing; they were places of bad news and crushed hopes.

She turned to Matt who was picking apart yet another donut.

"We gotta go."

"What?" He shook his head. "We finally found someone alive in this weird place. Why should we go?"

"I don't know." She bit her lower lip, keeping an eye on the door. "I just have a... feeling. Please. I don't want to stay here."

"Beth, sweetie, are you sure you don't-"

"Listen", she hissed. "Don't you think these two are a bit strange? I mean, they don't look the least freaked out. But they _should_ be! And then the nurse? She's been gone for at least ten minutes now, but did he look concerned to you? If _I_ said I'd be back in a minute and wasn't, what would _you_ do?" She rubbed her forehead. "Maybe I'm being paranoid here, but, please, I can't stay here. I know there are those... things outside, but _this_ place... it feels like a trap."

Finally, understanding dawned in her husband's eyes. With a sigh, he stood up, extending his good hand. "Fine, then. But only because I don't see the point in sitting around and waiting for help that might never come."

Glad that he didn't question her sanity for the decision to leave an at least somewhat safe place, Beth took his hand, and they left the kitchen. The corridor was empty, but the door to the exam room was slightly ajar. Matt gestured towards it.

"Come on. We should at least tell them where we're going. Maybe they want to come."

As they approached, they could hear the voices of Susan and Dr. Abernathy. Matt raised his hand to knock on the door, but Beth held him back. It sounded like Dr. Abernathy and Susan were in an argument. Unwilling to interrupt, Beth placed a finger on her lips, shaking her head. Still, standing so close to the door, she couldn't help but listen.

"...call Elizabeth!" Susan sounded nervous, angry even. Dr. Abernathy's answer sounded equally agitated.

"Not yet! We need them to trust us. If they question what we do, they might run, especially the woman."

"Don't be ridiculous! You know what's out there! The longer they are here, the higher the chance they run into something that kills them. We need her alive!"

"I know. Don't worry. The man likes me, he will keep her in line."

"About that. What do we do with _him_?"

"Dispose of him, of course. Once we have the woman secured, we don't need him anymore."

With wide eyes Beth pressed a hand to her mouth. _Dispose_ of someone? What the hell were they talking about? Dispose of _whom_? Surely, they couldn't be talking about Matt?

A look at her husband revealed that this bizarre thought had occurred to him as well. He crept closer to the door, peeking through the gap.

"So what do you suggest we do now?"

Dr. Abernathy's response came after a short pause. "We go back. Convince them that the hospital is the safest place. Once they feel secure, we can separate them. Kill the man, bring the woman to the church." Another pause. "You make sure that-"

He was interrupted by a sound coming from above. The wailing of a siren, apparently coming from the rooftop. Both Beth and Matt flinched at the sudden noise, and the doctor and the nurse fell silent.

Suddenly, Matt recoiled from the door as it burst open, barely missing his head. Dr. Abernathy and Susan looked shocked; whether it was the unexpected sound of the siren or their own presence, Beth wasn't sure.

"What are you doing here?"

Dr. Abernathy's voice was almost inaudible over the blaring siren. Matt took a step back from him and pulled Beth with him.

"What were _you_ talking about?" he retorted. The doctor frantically looked around, as did Susan. The nurse's eyes grew wide in shock at something Beth couldn't see.

When she turned around to find out, she almost screamed.

One by one, the lights in the hallway flickered and died, each burnt out lamp leaving a spot of darkness behind. In the light of the remaining lamps, Beth could see the whole scenery changing before her eyes. The walls grew darker, not from the absence of light, but as if the paint itself changed colour. At the same time, large peels of paint came off – they did not fall to the ground. They rose toward the ceiling as if carried by a wind, but before they reached it, they dissolved into thin air. When her gaze passed the wheelchair, it looked rusty, the seat rotten and torn. One wheel was spinning as if someone had just touched it.

A high-pitched scream made her turn around again. It had come from Susan, who was now grabbing Doctor Abernathy's arm.

"You told me the world wouldn't change anymore! _You told me we could control it_!"

"Get off me!" Dr. Abernathy pushed her away. "We can! It must be one of us."

The world wouldn't change _anymore_? Did that mean this had happened _before_? Like before, at the diner, Beth felt her brain starting to shut down. This shouldn't happen. This was impossible. How could this be possible?

"What the hell is going on here?"

Matt's scream snapped her out of it at once. He was looking terrified, perhaps even more than she felt right now. Their hands were still firmly locked, and she could feel him starting to tremble. Even Dr. Abernathy and the nurse looked thoroughly scared by now; Susan's eyes were darting around wildly.

"This is not supposed to happen!" she cried. "_This is not supposed to happen_!"

If Beth had had a breakdown before, this woman was completely out of her mind. All of a sudden, she threw herself at Dr. Abernathy.

"This is all your fault!" she shrieked. Dr. Abernathy had trouble holding her back as she clawed at him, aiming at his face.

"Stop that, dammit! Susan! Stop it!"

Beth looked briefly at her husband; he seemed to share her thoughts, for he started to slowly back away from the fighting pair the same instant she did. Right then, the sound of the siren started to subside, just in time for Beth to hear a shuffling sound around the next corner. She turned around, her heart beating hard against her ribs, to see what was coming for them. Her fingers closed more firmly around the handle of the knife.

"There's something behind the corner."

The words came out as a hoarse whisper, but Matt was close enough to understand. He backed against the wall, and Beth followed suit. The noise came from where the main entrance was, rendering their only way to escape useless. Now they could choose whether to leave through the exit in the ER where the armless creatures lurked, or face the unknown waiting around the corner. Or they could stay and hope for the best. Which would probably be a quick death.

"Matt?" She felt his grip around her hand tighten in response. "Just so you know... I love you."

The shaky laughter from her husband did do nothing to comfort her. "I know. I love you too."

Beth took a tiny step towards him. "Stay or go?"

"I will not stay with _them_."

She knew without taking her eyes off the corner that he meant Susan and Dr. Abernathy. Susan's screams had turned into inarticulate hissing and spitting. Noises indicated they were rolling on the floor, still fighting.

"Left or right?"

Before Matt could answer, Susan abruptly stopped moving when _something_ came around the corner. She opened her mouth, but nothing came out, not even when Dr. Abernathy threw her off himself and she thudded against a wall. Frantically, he staggered to his feet, turning around to see what had frightened the nurse so much.

It was another nurse. Only this nurse looked like a horrible caricature of one. Miniskirt, cleavage, a cap: all straight out of someone's dirty fantasies. Except for the pipe. The pipe was definitely not part of a nurse's attire, neither of an erotic one nor of the standard version. And neither was the blood staining her clothes from head to toe.

There was _nothing_ where her face was supposed to be.

The nurse wasn't alone. Following right on her heels was another one, looking very much the same – minus the pipe, plus a rusty scalpel in her right hand. In the narrow hallway, there was no way to get past them without at least getting hurt.

Beth's brain seemed to run amok. The only thing she could focus on was the scalpel. A _rusty_ scalpel? How was that possible? Scalpels were made of stainless steel, they didn't rust!

Matt's strangled voice yanked her out of these crazy thoughts. "Okay, screw left, we go right!"

Without a second thought, they left Dr. Abernathy and Susan behind. As they dashed through the now broken swinging door, Matt howled in pain as he pushed the door with his injured hand. Without a word, Beth took the lead, rudely kicking open the next door – and then skidding to a halt immediately. Behind the second door, where the kitchen had been, there was just a gaping hole in the wall, with wires and pipes sticking out from the crumbling concrete. Two more nurses were visible in the shady room behind, turning around as they heard the noise. Raising their makeshift weapons, they started to move towards the couple.

"Get back," Beth yelled. "Up the stairs!"

"But-"

"_Get up the goddamn stairs!_"

Beth didn't even care what was waiting on the next floor. She could hardly believe that it could be worse than _this_. As they entered the staircase, a blood-curdling scream echoed off the stained walls – Susan. Beth suppressed the impulse to see if she could help. She couldn't, she told herself, and the doctor and the nurse probably had it coming anyway.

By the time they had reached the first landing, Susan had stopped screaming.

"Do you know what you're doing?" Matt panted as they stumbled up to the next landing.

"Hide until this is over?" Beth retorted. "I have no idea."

A quick peek into the hallway revealed that it was empty, at least as far as Beth could see. She pushed the door open as quietly as she could; the hinges still creaked far too loud in the sudden silence.

"Admit it", she muttered. "I was right about this place being creepy."

They slipped into the abandoned hallway. Faint shuffling noises filled the air, but Beth couldn't pinpoint where they came from. She looked back through the glass window of the door. A dark shape was staggering up the stairs. In the near-dark of the staircase, Beth couldn't see whether it was one of the nurses or someone – some_thing_ – else.

"What now?" Matt whispered. He was sneaking towards the left corner and peeked around, only to flinch back immediately. "There's at least three of those nurse things. I don't think they noticed us."

Thinking about what was coming for them on the stairs, Beth gulped and clutched the handle of her knife a little faster. Clenching her teeth to keep them from chattering, she crept to the right corner. A quick peek revealed that the corridor was empty – at least as far as she could see.

"There's nothing I can see," she whispered. "Probably our best bet."

Before whatever was coming up the stairs could reach them, they tiptoed away from the staircase and the lurking nurses, into the darkness of the adjoining corridor – hoping that wherever they were headed now, it wouldn't be death waiting for them.

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><p><em>Uhh, so I just realised I have the first draft of chapter seven already finished and totally forgot I hadn't published this one yet. Sorry about that oO<em>

_On the other hand, it shouldn't take long to get the next chapter polished and ready for upload^^_


	7. Don't Fear The Reaper

_Hello :)_

_Took me a bit longer than expected, but I kind of need my beloved online dictionary for writing fic, and having no internet doesn't make that easy. And let's face it, looking stuff up in a three-pound uni dictionary isn't fun at all._

_But, finally, here's chapter number seven *insert mysterious voice* The plot thickens, my darling readers, very much so..._

_*achem* Whatever. Thanks for your reviews so far, and enjoy :_

* * *

><p>Their progress was agonisingly slow. Once they were around the corner, the unnatural darkness quickly became so thick Matt could barely see the back of his wife. Beth's hand still firmly locked in his was the only reassurance that she was still there and not just a figment of his overtired imagination. She was shaking hard, but pulling him forward nonetheless, away from the horror that lay behind them.<p>

He didn't dare think about what could be waiting for them in the dark.

For the moment, all he could hear was both his and Beth's breathing, hers coming more and more laboured. Still, she kept on walking, flinching every time the knife in her groping hand hit the wall with a too-loud noise, every time their feet met some unseen obstacle. Matt could tell that she was probably close to another breakdown. Not that he could blame her. He was about to freak out, too; the utter darkness didn't make it any easier to stay calm.

He stopped abruptly when a metallic crash and a high-pitched scream simultaneously echoed in the corridor. Beth's hand slipped out of his; a thud and a moan told him she must have fallen.

"Beth?" Hands outstretched, he knelt down, frantically searching for his wife. "Are you okay?"

"I... I'm fine. I just tripped over... something."

She scrambled to her feet, kicking whatever had made her fall across the corridor. It crashed against the opposite wall, making Matt flinch and instinctively turning around to check if the noise had attracted one of those nurse monsters. Not that he would notice, anyway.

He jumped again when her hand found his again and she pressed into his side. "I l-lost the kn-knife."

"Don't panic," he murmured. "It's all right. We're alone, there's nothing we need to fight until we found another-"

As if on cue, a noise behind them made them both freeze. An awfully familiar shuffling came closer by the second, accompanied by soft, female-sounding moans.

Not good. Without a weapon, unable to see, and in an unfamiliar building, the lack of obvious options was alarming to the point of sheer panic. The nurse monsters seemed to be where they had come from, so once again their best shot seemed to be running the opposite direction.

"Don't let go," he breathed, then he pulled Beth along, deeper into the unknown. They stumbled along the corridor, kicking and pushing foreign objects in every direction. The noise they created drowned out the shuffling behind them – but not the metal screeching suddenly echoing from somewhere ahead of them.

His injured hand screamed in protest as he blindly reached for something, trying to stop on the spot. A rotten smell wafted through the corridor, making him gag and his stomach turn.

"_What the hell is that_?"

Beth sounded like she was as close to throwing up as he was himself. Matt pressed his torn sleeve to his nose, pulling her to his side with her back against the wall.

"I don't know. I... maybe it's another nurse or something."

He crouched down, searching the floor for something to use as a makeshift weapon. He let out a strangled cry when his right hand bumped into something wooden – and the screeching stopped for a second. The shuffling noises had silenced as well, and for a moment, the hysterical part of his brain hoped that whatever was chasing them had just vanished. He almost laughed at this thought as the screeching started again, this time seemingly coming closer to them.

"What do we do? _What do we do?!_"

Part of him desperately wanted to comfort Beth, to tell her they'd just have to turn around and go back into the light, and everything would be okay again. Still, the better part of his mind was just as desperate to huddle down in a corner, hide behind closed eyelids and hope that once he woke up – this _must_ be a dream, it must, _it just must_ – he'd be in their cabin, with Mrs. Morrison pounding on the door because they had forgotten to set the alarm for their departure.

Then, all of a sudden, his world turned upside down, quite literally, as the wall behind his back disappeared, making both him and Beth fall backwards, screaming. The impact knocked the breath out of him, and hitting his head on the floor resulted in dozens of bright white stars exploding right in front of his eyes. He vaguely registered that he was being dragged, but unlike his wife, he wasn't able to make a sound beside a pitiful wheezing.

"Stop that! Stop screaming, that only helps them find you! Ow!"

Sounds indicated a struggle and an argument, but only after the exploding lights had faded somewhat, Matt was able to make out the shapes of two people near him, one of which was now kneeling down and grabbing his shoulder. Odd, he mused. Where did all that light come from?

"Matt?" Wait, was that his wife? "Matt, are you okay? Your head is bleeding."

"I'm..." No. Try again. "I'm okay. I think."

Swaying, he struggled to his feet, Beth supporting him as best as she could. He blinked at the other person. A woman, dressed in some sort of old-fashioned hospital uniform. She tugged impatiently at Beth's free arm.

"Come on, he's so close already! We've got to get up on the roof!"

Not yet up to resisting, Matt stumbled along as the woman led them up some stairs, leaving the screeching behind.

"Where are we going?"

Good question. He would have also liked to know who that other woman was, but before he could ask, the stranger answered Beth's question.

"The roof. We gotta jump from there."

"What?!"

Despite their surprise at this answer, the thought of those horrible creatures following them kept them moving while the woman led them up yet another flight of stairs, not reacting at first. As they arrived on top, she pushed open a door, and they found themselves on the hospital roof, close to a helipad.

"What do you mean, jump?"

A quick glance revealed that the roof was empty, as far as they could see, and that made them finally stop. Keeping himself between Beth and the woman, Matt asked again.

"Tell me what's going on!"

The woman threw a wide-eyed glance at the door. The screeching sound, however faintly, was following them, now interrupted by some sort of clonking noise. Something was being dragged up the stairs.

"Listen", she hissed. "He's coming after you, and if you want to live, you have to trust me, all right?"

Matt refused to move even an inch. "Yeah, right. You know, the last people we met here just tried to kill us!"

"Those people belong to _them._ Listen, I can help you, but you'll have to trust me!"

She sounded desperate now, gesturing towards something behind her. There was nothing in sight but a rusty metal staircase.

The fire escape.

"Thank you, but we will just take the stairs."

With that, he dashed off, Beth on his heels, toward the stairs.

"No! Wait! There's no- holy shit!"

The second he stepped on the rusty metal grid, Matt realised what the woman was talking about. As soon as he set foot on the grid, the whole structure shifted, giving in under the strain. For a moment, he was balancing on the sinking grid, waving his arms, and then he fell.

Backwards.

With a screech, Beth had grabbed his shoulders and thrown herself and him back onto the roof. He felt breathless yet again, and dizzy as well as Beth helped him up again. The other woman ran to their side, looking furious.

"I _told_ you we need to jump! Now come!"

This time, they didn't object. The woman led them to another corner of the building, close to the street.

"Down there, on that roof."

Another building was close by, not quite as tall, but only a few yards away. With any luck, they could make it.

Beth looked suddenly terrified. "Are you sure we can do this?"

"I've done this before, that's how I know of this way out." The other woman gestured impatiently. "Come on. He'll be here any second."

With a more than worried expression, Beth turned to him. "Are you up to this?"

Matt calculated the distance carefully. He still felt dizzy, but this was probably his only chance. And if the told Beth he couldn't do this, she'd stay with him, trying to fight whatever was coming after them. Stubborn thing that she was.

"I am. Just go, okay? We don't have much time."

The strange woman looked relieved. "Good. I'll show you. You'll have to roll so you don't get hurt."

Without another word, she took a few steps back, pulled up her skirt a little, started running, and leapt.

On the other side, she rolled over a few times, hitting an aircon with a thud, but finally standing up again, waving.

"Come on!"

They both hesitated for a second, but a loud bang behind them sealed the deal. Without looking back, they both ran a few steps, and then they were in the air, falling towards what they hoped would be safety.

The landing was everything but smooth, and for the third time in just a few minutes, something hit his back hard enough to knock the wind out of him. Wheezing and swearing under his laboured breath, he came to his knees, searching for Beth.

His wife had landed a few feet to his left, having missed the aircon. She and the other woman were staring at the hospital roof, eyes wide, and pale as death.

"What _is_ that thing?!"

Beth sounded like she was close to hysteria, and she was shaking hard. A look back to the other building showed him why.

He had never seen such an enormous knife in his life, let alone anyone wielding something like it. But this guy – this _giant_ – was raising it with apparent ease, although it was difficult to say with this huge metal helmet obscuring his face and some of his upper body. Still, the... _man_... held himself with a twisted kind of grace and pride – while practically radiating mortal danger. If he swung that knife at them, the result wasn't all that hard to imagine.

"Come on! This way!"

The other woman had found her voice again, pulling them both away from the knife man. They were just too happy to obey, following her to the other side of the building. This time, the fire escape was obviously safe; no more falling as they left the roof. They ended up in a narrow alleyway between two buildings. The woman didn't even pause to check on them.

"Let's go. I know a place that is still safe."

Exchanging a doubtful glance, they followed the woman out of the alley. In passing, Matt grabbed a wooden plank out of a pile of garbage. Not as good as the pipe, but better than nothing.

They passed another intersection, turned left and followed another street north. They kept up a quick pace, almost a jog. To Matt's surprise, the streets were as empty as they were dark. No sign of the armless creatures from before, although, without any street lamps lighting their way, it was hard to say.

At a junction, the woman stopped and turned around. Matt blinked. It was hard to tell in the gloom, but now that she had stopped moving, he could have sworn that she was sort of... translucent.

"That's as far as I can go without draining my strength. Now listen, you two. Follow this road, and turn left at Finney Street. Follow that, and cross the bridge. On the other side, to the right, there are some houses. Go to the green one. No, wait." She frowned. "It's not green in this world. Oh, I know. There's a porch swing. The sign on the doorbell says 'Adams'. Go inside. I'll meet you there, and then we will talk."

With that, she jogged off, swallowed by darkness after just a few steps.

"Wait!" Beth made a motion as if she wanted to go after her, but she didn't dare let go of his hand. "Why don't we go together?"

"Beth!" He squeezed her hand roughly, ignoring the pain this caused him. "Quiet!"

With a look of shock, Beth covered her mouth. "Sorry", she whispered. Her eyes darted wildly across the street. "Oh god, I've told them where we are!"

She was right. Several twitching figures shuffled into their direction. Matt had no desire to fight them. The adrenaline wore off way too quickly now, and he could feel the pain in his hand and the back of his head more intensely now. The headache made it difficult to think straight. "Come on. Let's go find that house. It's our best shot."

They set off to follow the directions the woman had given them. They dodged a few attacks of the armless people, but eventually, there were no more of them in sight as they reached Finney street. They were in the outskirts of the town now, a residential area where few tourists ever ventured. In a normal town, this street would be occupied by kids playing catch, riding bikes, jumping rope. Here, there wasn't a single soul in sight. Seeing that the only people they had met so far had tried to do god knew what to them and the rest were monsters of some sort, this might be a good thing.

Eventually, they fell into a walk, closely watching their surroundings. Slowly, exhaustion caught up with Matt, and he had to hand Beth the plank, asking her to watch out for them both. She nodded stiffly, obviously tense and alert. She had let go of his hand and slipped her arm through his; only now she had realised she'd been clutching his injured hand.

In hindsight, Matt was grateful for that. By paying more attention to their surroundings than to him, she might have very well saved both their lives.

It was Beth who spotted it, right after they had crossed the bridge, and who abruptly came to a halt, causing him to stop as well.

"What's wrong?"

She only raised a trembling hand, pointing to a front yard to their left. "Dog."

He had attributed it to his exhaustion, but the moment he followed her terrified gaze, he realised that the low growling sound was, indeed, very real. The dog in question, however, took a moment to recognise as one. Much like the dead cat they had found at the hotel, this animal had neither fur nor eyes. Its teeth looked obscenely large due to the missing chunks of flesh around his muzzle.

For a few moments, it just stood there, crouched, ready to attack. Both he and Beth had frozen in their tracks; at this point, his fight and flight instincts fought for control, and he wasn't sure which one would win this time.

It took no more than a blink. Next thing he new, the dog was running towards them, snarling, out for blood. He wasn't sure who of them screamed, but the sound echoed from the surrounding buildings, making his ears ring painfully. The following shriek, though, was clearly Beth's. One moment, she was clinging to him for dear life, the next she pushed him aside. Swinging the plank like a baseball bat, she hit the dog in the last second, hard enough to send it flying into a trash can on the other side of the street. Clearly surprised, she blinked at the animal, then at him.

"What?"

It was almost comical to watch her expression change; he had a hard time not to giggle hysterically. The last time she had hit something this hard, she had sent a baseball through a shop window, prompting her to quit ball games for good. Surprise and pride – for the love of god, she was so _proud_ – briefly flashed across her face, before she remembered where they were, and almost dropped the plank.

"Inside!"

Her voice was so high-pitched, he barely understood. She turned around and darted across the street towards a small house with a withered tree in front – and a swing on the porch. The sign on the mailbox, written in crude, child-like letters, read 'Adams'.

The rotten fence gate was flung aside as they pushed through, both at the same time, and ran for the door. A snarl told them the dog had recovered quickly and was close on their heels.

Praying the door would be open, Matt pushed against the wood. It gave way without resistance, letting them into the house. Beth barely was inside when Matt slammed the door shut again, right into the dog's snout. A thud and a yelp, followed by some scratching, and after that, silence fell, except for their breathing. They were safe again. Right?

"So you made it. I'm glad Lisa found you in time. I was afraid they might have gotten to you first."

They both froze at the sound of the voice. In a way, it was worse than the sounds of monsters and death. It didn't _belong_ here. Not here, into this nightmare.

It was the voice of a child.


	8. Be Careful What You Wish For

_Well, hello there. Long time no see._

_I put this on hold for a while. I thought it'd be just a few months, if so long, but those months turned into a year. A lot has been going on during that year, and in all honesty, I didn't have time or the mind to continue any of my fanfictions in a good long while. If I had known beforehand, I would have put up a note, but as it is, I didn't expect it to be such a long break, and I'm sorry I didn't think about marking any of my fics as 'on hiatus'._

_Now things have settled, and I finally have the time and motivation to continue this. I really love this story, and I _will_ finish it at some point. Hopefully, without another year-long break between chapters. But, since apparently, life loves screwing with me, I lost part of my notes when I moved (long story, let's just say it was a choice that, as cheesy as it sounds, changed my life). I remember the basic outline I wrote up for this, but little details, so this story just turned into kind of a 'let's see where this goes' project, something I usually don't like posting because there's a good chance I'll lose interest or write myself into a corner. But I'm pretty sure I can figure out what to do with this one._

_So, without further ado (and if there's still anyone left reading this), let's get on with it!_

* * *

><p>The plank hit the ground with a clatter. Beth was frozen in place, pressed against the door, squeezing Matt's hand. From one second to the other, she felt like she was losing it. The fog, the darkness, even the monsters she could handle – those creatures looked as warped and dangerous as they were.<p>

But what was she to make of the little girl that stood in front of them?

Nothing, not now, not after all that had happened in the past few hours. She looked so harmless, but did that mean anything? She hadn't attacked them on sight, but maybe she was just smarter than the others. Maybe she was playing the same game the doctor and the nurse had. Maybe-

"Are you all right?"

When the girl spoke again, she could feel Matt flinch beside her. From the corner of her eye, she saw him scramble to pick up the plank, saw him shake as he gripped it tight with his injured hand, but she couldn't take her eyes off the girl. Something about her felt off, something... wasn't _right_.

As if anything about this place could be considered right.

"What are you?"

She felt Matt shift beside her, but he didn't say anything. Her whispered question seemed to catch the girl off guard, though. She cocked her head, clasping her hands in front of her.

"What am I? Don't you see what I am?"

"I see _something_", Beth answered, trying as hard as she could to make the words audible. "But I'm not trusting my eyes, not here, not anymore."

"A wise precaution", the girl said, smiling. It sent a shiver down Beth's spine. "And justified, in a way." Her smile faded. "I would like to explain this to you, but for that, you will need to stay for at least a while and hear me out."

Exchanging a look, they both nodded.

"Fine", Matt agreed, slightly lifting the plank. "But I'm keeping this."

The girl shrugged. "Suit yourself." She turned, motioning towards her right. "Do you mind if we sit down for this?"

She gestured towards a sitting area with an old sofa and two worn armchairs grouped around a coffee table with only three legs; the fourth was a stack of books.

It looked cosy, comfortable, inviting – disturbingly normal.

"What?"

The girl looked at them with mild annoyance. "Sit down. Over there. To discuss your situation."

And move away from the door, their best means of escape if things went ugly?

"How do we know this isn't another trap?"

Matt sounded strained, his voice barely controlled. Beth suppressed a shiver. _She_ was tired, and she wasn't even hurt. How long would _he_ be able to keep this up?

"You are talking about the hospital."

The new voice made them both look away from the girl. It was the woman from the hospital, standing in the doorway to the next room. Only this time, she didn't look alive at all; ghostly was the best Beth could come up with. She was translucent from head to toe.

"Those people belonged to the Order. We have nothing to do with them." She waved in the direction of the sitting area. "She's right. You should sit down, you both look tired."

"Why should we trust you?" Images of two other nurses flashed through Beth's mind – one dead, the other being killed by the first. "Those people at the hospital seemed nice, too. What would stop you from turning on us as well?"

"Nothing", came the simple answer from the girl. She hadn't moved the whole time. Now her hands were clenched into the fabric of her dress, and her smile seemed forced. "You have our word, we can't give you more, and you know that. You are free to leave any time you want. But first, you should think about this." She made a pause and took a deep breath. "My name is Alessa Gillespie. I am the one who created this place. And I may be the only one who can help you get out of here alive."

-o-

She didn't quite remember how they got on the sofa, or how the two chipped cups with steaming hot tea appeared in front of them. Tea. Normal, boring, non-lethal tea. She could confirm that after mechanically taking a sip and not dying. Peppermint. Her favourite.

She didn't look up when she finally found her voice again. "Did you say you were the one who created this place?"

It was strange how calm she sounded. Minutes ago, she'd been sure she was losing her mind. Now that she thought about it, maybe she was already past the point of caring. Maybe this place wasn't even real. It didn't look like it could be real; in fact, it didn't even _feel_ real. What harm could it do to play along now?

"I did", the girl – Alessa – confirmed. "And while I'm not sorry that I did, I am sorry that you ended up here."

"Hold on." Matt's voice was rough from exhaustion. "You created... this? Monsters, crazy doctors and all?"

"No. I didn't say that."

Carefully, Beth put the teacup back on the coffee table before looking up. "Then what did you mean when you said you created this place?"

"For you to understand, I need to start in the beginning."

Neither of them said anything, so Alessa continued in the same flat, monotonous voice. "It's not quite accurate to say that I created this... world, this version of Silent Hill. In a way, the world outside has always been there. Or rather, its potential. I was just the catalyst, the one who allowed it to take shape." She looked out the window. "You see, there are places like this all over the world. Places of power. They are harmless son their own, but as soon as a human sets foot there, things have the potential to go bad." Her gaze returned to her own hands, folded in her lap. "Humans like to worship. They like to believe that, if they do, a higher power will help and protect them – and grant them their wishes and deepest desires. It's not a bad thing in itself, but sometimes, when the right person with the right wish finds the right place, then those wishes will be granted."

"By what?"

Alessa smiled. "Yes, that is a good question. No-one really knows, even I don't, and I have been here longer than anyone else. At least longer than anyone you will ever meet. What I do know is that Silent Hill used to be such a place, a spiritual place that held great power. The Indians knew, and they declared this place sacred. Only the purest among them were allowed to come here. It should have stayed that way. Because once the white people came to settle the land, they brought dark wishes, dark desires, and the land felt that. It awoke, grew stronger with each added wish." She shifted, rolled her shoulders. "You see, those powers are not inherently good or evil. Those categories are human-made. But here lies the problem. Once those powers start reacting to humans, those human qualities influence the shape they take. Sometimes they create saints, and sometimes they create demons."

"Demons." Beth heard the strain in Matt's voice – and the fear. "What does that even mean?"

"It means that the people here brought dark wishes, and those dark wishes are what, in the end, formed the world you just saw outside. _I_ did contribute such a dark wish."

Alessa sighed, then straightened herself. When she started talking again, it looked like a mask had been put in place. "One fateful day, a little girl was born in this town. She was the daughter of a woman who led a cult that can only be described as evil. This cult believed in God, but not in a kind one. Their God was said to cleanse the world of sinners without mercy and let only the true believers enter paradise. The cultists' wish was to enter this promised paradise. To achieve this goal, they had to awaken their long-dead God through rebirth. The cult leader's little girl was destined to be God's mother and bring Her back into the world. So when she was seven, they performed the ritual."

The words sunk in like cold stones. Beth felt sick from the implications of the story. Cults worshipping twisted gods; mothers offering their daughters for sacrifice; little girls set to give birth to _something_. She didn't want to hear the ending, but found herself unable to stop listening.

"But the girl knew. She knew what was to come, and she didn't want it to happen. All _she_ wished for was a happy life, a life without worship and sacrifice and death. So she wished for it to stop. And stop it did. Because the girl possessed powers of her own, powers that connected with the spirits roaming this place. Her desperation and fear were strong enough to rip her very soul in half. And when she shattered, reality shattered with her. The powers inhabiting this corner of the earth heard her pleas and granted her wish. She had grown up being told that sinners were punished and sent to hell. So hell was what she got. And everyone who had tried to hurt her went there with her."

"Why did she go there, too?"

Beth flinched when she heard her own raspy voice. But she needed to know.

"Because only the darkest part of her was left. What little good she had still possessed at that time was left behind in the real world, in the shape of a child. That child got what the little girl had wished for; a happy, safe life with a loving family. At least until Dahlia found her and brought her back to finish the ritual." The ghost of a smile flickered across Alessa's face. "The other child had a brave father. He followed her and tried to rescue her. And he did, but not before the two halves of the little girl's soul were put back together. So when he killed Dahlia and took the new, remade child away from here, the baby's soul was whole again." She shrugged. "Well, almost. The girl is tied to this place, ever since the first ritual. And as long as this world exists, she can't leave."

"And that girl is you."

Just a confirmation, one they both needed to break through their denial. The horror and disgust Beth felt were mirrored in her husband's voice. This was a tale straight out of someone's nightmare. How could someone be so cruel to a child? And how could a _child_ create something as twisted and ghastly as the world outside?

"I am what is left of that original girl", Alessa replied quietly. "The other one is alive, safe and sound, far away from here, if that's any consolation."

Beth barely registered that information. For a while, no-one said anything while they both tried to wrap their heads around what they'd just heard. It was impossible. Utterly impossible. Yet, for however long they'd been here, they had seen that it wasn't, that it was real and dangerous. There were monsters that shouldn't exist, a world that changed and darkened in a way that shouldn't be possible. And yet, when she looked at it, looked at every explanation she had, two options remained. She was insane, or all this was really happening. And if it was, denying this horrifying truth would only get them killed faster.

The only sound in the room was Matt's heavy breathing. Her own breathing was strangely shallow, and Alessa and the ghostly woman, who hadn't said a word since she'd mentioned that mysterious 'order', weren't breathing at all.

And suddenly, the puzzle pieces were clicking into place.

"You are dead."

Abruptly, she stood up, unable to contain her anxiety any longer. She nearly knocked over the coffee table as she began to pace. "You are both dead, dead and trapped in this hell of yours! And now we are stuck here, too, and only because of _you!_" She pointed at the girl who met her gaze with infuriating calm. "You created your own prison, and you can't get out of here, so why should we believe you when you tell us that you can get _us_ out again?" She snarled at everything and nothing in particular. "How come you can't get out, then, if you were the one who _made_ this place? And if this... this hell is supposed to punish sinners, bad people, people who hurt children, why are _we_ here?" Her scream echoed from the walls; the high-pitched sound made all of them flinch. "_Why are we here?!_"

Dreams and wishes. Spirits. Unseen powers, granting one's deepest desires.

_Her_ wishes. _Her_ desires. Her failure to fulfil both her and Matt's greatest wish.

But was she being punished, or was the town granting her the wish she'd carried in her heart for years?

The girl's next words were only confirmation for what her mind tried to deny.

"You are not sinners." So much sorrow in those big, dark eyes. "That much, I can see. The town called you in for another reason. If you survive its darkness, it will hold what you wish for most."

The room started spinning, and Beth's knees gave in. She fell back onto the sofa, where she huddled into Matt's comforting embrace.

"No", she whispered. "This isn't right. This is a nightmare, this is hell. How could there be anything I wish for _here?_"

"It's not always obvious." It was the ghost nurse who had spoken. "I always wanted to help sick children. I applied for a post in a hospital in Portland, but I didn't get the job. When I found work here, I didn't expect to be able to ever do that kind of work." She smiled bitterly. "I found it, all right."

"Lisa was the nurse who was assigned to me", Alessa answered the unspoken question. "And at a time when I was so angry, so... blind, she was... she was just caught in the storm, I suppose." Her face twisted into a pained expression. "She is like you. Someone who never deserved my anger. She only tried to help a sad, hurt little girl. That Kaufmann used her like that... It's as much for people like you three as it is for myself that I want this to end. But I need help."

"Our help."

Feeling strangely detached, Beth sat up straight. Alessa held her gaze without blinking; an unsettling experience.

"You want us to fight a town of monsters... to do what?"

"I have a plan." Alessa smiled again. "And a good one, if I dare say so. I've had years to come up with it, after all." With a sudden movement, she stood up, smoothing out her dress. "But I don't think this is the right time. You both look tired, you should rest while you can. I believe the Order is still distracted after what happened at the hospital. It appears they are losing control as well, or at least those two did. Until Dr. Abernathy makes it back to the Order's headquarters, they won't know what happened and what to do next. So you have a few hours to get some sleep."

The hospital. The hostile doctor. Beth vaguely remembered him talking to the nurse, a secret conversation. Something about Matt, about herself...

"The doctor and the nurse", she began. "They were talking about us. What did that mean?"

The nurse Lisa frowned. "That doesn't sound good. I'll go back and try to find out more, if Dr. Abernathy is still there. But Alessa is right, you should rest while you can. Do that now, and when I'm back, we will talk about what happened at the hospital."

Not the most satisfying answer. There was something in Alessa's story that connected to what they had overheard, but her mind refused to put the pieces together. The girl was right. She needed rest, and Matt did, too.

"Is there a place where-"

"A guest room, upstairs", Alessa cut in. "I will show you."

Hand in hand, they followed the girl through the house. Up the stairs, along a corridor. Like the living room, the rest of the house looked like somebody was still living there. There were flowers in a vase, pictures on the walls.

Fond memories, Alessa had said. If bad wishes had shaped the world outside, were good memories really powerful enough to create a safe haven in the middle of all that horror and decay?

"There." Alessa pushed open a door at the end of the hallway, stepping aside to let them enter. "Try to sleep. I will be around; if you need anything, tell me, I can probably find it somewhere."

Beth only nodded, then followed Matt inside. While she closed the door, her husband headed straight for the queen-size bed in the room. It looked inviting, soft and warm, with a colourful duvet thrown over it.

It looked utterly absurd, compared to what they had seen outside and at the hospital. Still, when Matt collapsed onto the bed, not even caring about taking off his shoes, she couldn't help but be glad it was there. The girl was right, they both needed rest. She couldn't tell how long they'd been here. Time seemed to fly by one moment and stand still the next. In any case, the running, the fear and the adrenaline rush had worn her out, and who knew when they'd have another chance to sleep?

Yawning, she crawled onto the bed beside Matt. He was already fast asleep. After taking off his shoes and hers, she reached for the blanket at the foot of the bed. Huddled under the soft fabric, snuggled close to Matt, she closed her eyes.

And hoped she wouldn't dream.


End file.
